Free How To Avoid Death On A Daily Basis: Book Three by V. Moody Page B

since we don’t really need anything right now, why tempt fate? No biggie.”
     
    “Yes biggie,” said Mandy. “They might be able to give us information, maybe help us get to Dargot quicker. Even if they start trouble, there’s seven of us and two of them.”
     
    Nothing she said was wrong, but that didn’t mean it was a good idea. Unnecessary risk is unnecessary.
     
    “I’m going to go talk to them.” Mandy started to stand up.
     
    I grabbed her arm and pulled her back down. “Wait.”
     
    She glared at me. “What happened to, ‘ I don’t tell people what to do, they can make their own choices ’?
     
    Damn it, she had me there.
     
    “You can. Talk to them all you want, just don’t tell them about us or give away any more information than you have to.”
     
    “Thanks for the advice. I think I can handle a couple of boys.” She smiled sarcastically at me and got to her feet.
     
    We all remained hidden as she walked out. “Hello? Hi there.”
     
    The two men turned around, startled, then relaxed when they saw it was only a girl. She strolled over and within a few seconds the three of them were chatting away like old friends.
     
    Part of me hoped she’d get on the back of one their  horses and they’d all fuck off together, but her stuff was back at the camp and my luck wasn’t that good.
     
    To be honest, she was right. The likelihood of these guys posing a threat to us was minimal. Even if they were great swordsmen, we could keep them at bay with arrows and it was hard to think of a reason for them to attack us in the first place.
     
    My thoughts were interrupted by a scream. I looked up to see one of the soldiers pull his sword out of Mandy’s stomach, with an accompanying gush of blood. Mandy slumped to the ground and both men jumped on their horses and hightailed it out of there.
     
    It happened so quickly it didn’t register at first. I looked across at Maurice who was looking at me with a puzzled expression. I turned to the others, all of whom were bouncing around looks of bafflement.
     
    “Shouldn’t we help her?” said Maurice. And then everyone rushed out.
     
    Mandy was lying in a pool of blood, opening and clothing her mouth without making any noise. Claire knelt next to her and tried to staunch the blood flowing out of the large gash in her midriff. Everyone crowded around trying to help but not really knowing what to do.
     
    Seeing the life slowly drain out of Mandy was a strangely frightening experience. She was an annoying bitch, but what could she have said to those soldiers to make them do this? A chill ran down my arms and a feeling of ‘glad that isn’t me’ sat at the front of my mind.
     
    I’m not saying that kind of thinking is anything to be proud of, I’m just trying to describe it honestly. I also couldn’t help but think, I bet she’s pissed I was right again.
     
    “Do something,” Claire yelled at me.
     
    I snapped out of my reverie and knelt down next to Mandy. I placed my hands over her wound. She screamed.
     
    “What… What are you… Stop.” Her voice was weak and her body bucked and writhed under my hands. The others grabbed her and held her down. I pressed down harder and my hands began to glow.
     
    It took a lot longer than any of the previous times I had healed someone. After about ten minutes, the blood stopped seeping out between my fingers. After twenty, I raised my hands and the wound was gone. 
     
    Mandy sat up, gasping for air, pale and sweaty. She looked down at herself and patted the exposed skin. She was smeared with blood, but other than that there was no sign of the gash. Not even a scar.
     
    She turned to face me, her eyes searching mine. She seemed to want to say something. An apology? An expression of gratitude?
     
    “You… you lying sack of shit!”
     
    Damn. I could have pretended to heal her and let her die. Why does the answer always come five minutes after you needed it?
     
    I stood up and felt dizzy. My